Hummingbird Cottage on the Greenbrier River

Since the advent of covid-19, we have made some changes to help safeguard our own health and that of our guests. Please see below for details.

Hummingbird Cottage is just off the main road on the banks of the Greenbrier River in the lovely hamlet of Fort Spring. The cottage features 2 private bedrooms and one bathroom. An open floor plan and large windows make for a bright and airy interior.

There is direct access to the river and ample private parking. Self check-in with keycoded entry.

In the summertime, the flowers and feeders attract many hummingbirds to the cottage. There is no smoking indoors. We regret that we will no longer allow pets except for repeat guests on a case-by-case basis.

The kitchen has new appliances, including toaster, coffeepot and microwave oven. You will find essentials like stainless steel pots and pans, knives and cooking tools, dishes, glasses and flatware. Kitchen towels and potholders are provided.

There is a separate dining room, a breakfast room with windows facing the river and a spacious living room with 49" Smart TV, Blu-Ray player, comfortable sectional couch and good task lighting. The cottage has a DSL internet connection fast enough for gaming and streaming video. The TV has a basic Roku subscription, or you can log in with your own Roku/Netflix/Sling/etc account to view your own subscription programming. WiFi connection to the internet is provided as well.

There is a new Samsung washer and dryer. The washer has an internal heating element to allow a long wash cycle with very hot water. There is an outdoor clothesline too. AT&T mobile phones have little or no service here but other carriers seem to work fine.

You will have use of the entire house and yard with access to the river

We live a short distance away and are available as needed.

Fort Spring is 7 miles from Alderson (the largest Independence Day celebration in the state) 9 miles from Lewisburg (dining, shopping and theater) 8 miles from Fairlea (the State Fair of West Virginia) and 18 miles from the Greenbrier Resort. Kayak and Canoe rentals are nearby. Beautiful Bluestone lake is 35 miles away, quiet Moncove Lake is 32 miles and the Pipestem resort is 38 miles. The New River Gorge bridge is 60 miles away and Snowshoe is 78 miles.

This area is beautiful, with large elevation changes, rolling terrain, karst features like sinking creeks, springs and caves. It's rural with cows, sheep and horses grazing the hillside pastures between emerald green hayfields and cool, shady forests. Through all this flows the Greenbrier river and nearby tributaries Second Creek, Anthony Creek and Muddy Creek. Fly fishing is some of the best you'll find anywhere.

Hummingbird Cottage is about 10 miles from Caldwell, the southern terminus of the Greenbrier River Trail, a 78 mile long paved and cinder rail trail with bridges and tunnels. Bring your bicycle or rent one, the trail also welcomes horses, hikers and any non-motorized transportation. Power wheelchairs are allowed.

For history buffs, there is an almost endless list of opportunities including the Pearl S. Buck birthplace in Hillsboro, and the Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. In Lewisburg there is the North House Museum.

Twenty-one miles away in Talcott, you will find the Big Bend Tunnel, the location of the legendary battle between John Henry and the steam drill. There is a monument and a picnic area along the river at the tunnel entrance.

Eleven miles away is Organ Cave where the bones of a giant prehistoric sloth were found in 1799 and sent to PresidentThomas Jefferson who named the discovery. Also eleven miles away, Lost World Caverns offers both self-guided tours and all-day, guided spelunking.

Rail fans will enjoy watching the trains in Fort Spring where they exit Mann's Tunnel, travel about a half mile and vanish again as they enter the Fort Spring Tunnel. You will see trains carrying cargo as well as the twice-weekly Amtrak Cardinal which makes a regular stop in White Sulphur Springs and a whistle stop in Alderson. Cass Scenic Railway is about 75 miles away and offers excursions with a steam locomotive, a favorite destination for leaf peepers in the warm days of autumn. A visit to the nearby Greenbank Observatory could fill out the day.

Lewisburg has it's own Carnegie Hall, one of three in the Nation. You will find indoor music performances in all seasons and outdoor free concerts during summer months. There are many choices for dining in Lewisburg including fine dining, family restaurants and a vegetarian coffeehouse open for breakfast and lunch.

There is a public bus that will stop for you about a mile away from the cottage if you call the day before. Otherwise it's best to have your own transportation. The cottage is not within walking distance of any shopping or dining.

We now require a minimum of 3 days between guests to allow for ozone treatment of the entire cottage, including the HVAC ducts. This helps with the soft surfaces like upholstery that are otherwise hard to disinfect. We disinfect the remotes, doorknobs and other commonly touched surfaces with a bleach solution.

We follow or exceed all the CDC recommended cleaning/disinfecting guidelines. Our new washing machine has an internal heater and runs long cycles with very hot water to help assure the linens and towels are disinfected as well.

No smoking indoors. No candles, scented wax or scented sprays. We provide unscented laundry soap and don't permit any scented laundry products.